Car-mover



E.. E. CHAPM'KN.

CAR MOVER.

APPLICATION FILED M.AY. 20| 19I9.

,3 0 523 I Patented May 18, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET I- I A. I 1 W I 7 Ch co-nus:

E. E. CHAPMAN.

CAR MOVER- APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, I919.

115403523. Patented May 18, 1920'.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

d Nouns) EIiSWORTI-I E. CHAPMAN, 0F TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

CAR-MOVER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 18, 1920.

Application filed May 20, 1919. Serial No. 298,473.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELswoR'rH E. CHAP- MAN, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Tacoma, county of Pierce, State of IVashington, have invented certain new and useful' Improvements in Gar- Movers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to car movers of the type which are operated by hand and the purpose of which is to start or moverailroad cars while standing upon tracks.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved device for this purpose, and one which will be both more eflicient and more convenient in itsuse.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention in its present preferred form, and the features thereof which I deem to be new and patentable will be defined by the claims terminating this specification.

Figure 1 is a top planview of this device.

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the block which engages the wheel in section.

Fig. 3 is a view of the device from the other side.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the device with a portion of the fulcrum'block in section and with one of the side plates removed.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken through the fulcrum pin forthe operating lever, and through one of the bolts WlllCll hold the rail gripping blocks together.

In this device I employ two rail gripping members consisting of the two blocks 1, which are provided with surfaces adapted to engage both the top and the side surfaces of the rail head. Two of these blocks are provided, one at each side of the rail head. The outer faces of these blocks are provided with downwardly extending flanges 10, which are adapted to extend downward from the top surface of the rail head a sufficient distance to form an ample gripping engagement with the side faces of therail head when they have been forced together. These two blocks are connected to prevent undue separation by means of two bolts 2.

I prefer to give these bolts a flat head, such as shown at 20, and also to provide one of the blocks 1-, with small ledges 11, so located as to be engaged by the heads 20, or to use an equivalent means which will prevent the bolts from turning. At the opposite end of the bolts they are provided with. thumb nuts 21 so that the separation of the rail gripping blocks 1 may be adjusted and controlled to correspond with rail heads of different widths.

The inner faces of the rail gripping blocks 1 are provided with a side inclined portion 12extending from their upper edges downward, these two surfaces of opposite blocks thus form a trough having inclined surfaces. In connection with this is employed a fulcrum block 3, which has similar or complemental inclined surfaces 30, which form a wedge adapted to engage with the inclined surfaces 12 of the rail gripping block 1, so that as the fulcrum block is pressed downwardly, or into the trough, the upper edges of the blocks 1 would be forced outwardly.

By reason of the fact that the bolts 2, which connect the two blocks 1, are located above .the rail head and above the rail gripping flanges '10, these rail gripping flanges will be forced inward and against the rail head, and will grip the same securely.

To prevent separation of the fulcrum block 3 from the rail gripping blocks 1, the latter blocks are provided with holes 13 into which project pins or lugs 31 carried bythe fulcrum blocks 8. These holes 13 are enlarged in a vertical direction sufficient to accommodate the vertical movement which it is necessary that the fulcrum blocks 3 have, .inorder to produce a proper gripping effect of the blocks 1 upon the rail.

Fulcrum block 3 has ears or flanges 82, which receive the fulcrum pin 33. Pivoted upon this pin 33 is the lever 4. This lever, as herein shown, has a socket end 40, into which a wooden extension handle may be insorted. The opposite short end of this lever is designed to be applied to the car wheel in order to raise the same and force it forwardly. This action is preferably done through the medium of a block, as 5, which is pivotally mounted upon the short end of the lever 4. This is shown as having been accomplished by providing the lever 4 with pivot pins 41 which project laterally therefrom, and by providing the block 5 with yoke arms 50, which are adapted to embrace the pivot pins 41.

These yoke arms are shown as being of suflicient length to extend beyond the pivot pin 41 and to receive a retaining bolt 51, which thus prevents accidental removal of block 5. I prefer to provide the end of the lever 4 and the block 5 with complemental exert to lift and move the wheel.

stop surfaces 42 and 52, which will be brought into engagement to prevent "excessive swinging of the block around its pivot.

I also prefer to shape the under side of the block and the upper surface of the handle et in such a manner that when the block is swung in the opposite direction, these two surfaces will come in contact. When this occurs, by the engagement of the under side of the block, at the point indicated by the reference character 53, with the upper surface of the lever arm, the effective or working end of the lever which acts'upon the car wheel is reduced, thus increasing the lever ratio and the force which it is possible to By this expedient an increased force may be exert ed at the moment of starting.

In a device of this sort it is desirable to have the rail gripping members automati cally relieved from their grip upon the rail when the operating handle 4: is thrown upwardly, so that the device may he slid forward under the wheel without offeringany serious resistance. To secure this it is necessary to provide means whereby the wedge or fulcrum block 3 is lifted or raised so as to neutralize its separating effect upon the gripping blocks 1. To secure this I employ a spring (3 which is mounted upon a pin, as 60, which extends between the two side blocks 1. This spring engages the under surface of the fulcrum block 3 and normally holds it raised, so that its wedging action a ainst the side blocks 1 is thus neutralized. 'I his spring will thus automatically act to relieve the gripping effect upon the rails as soon as the downward action of the lever, due to its engagement with the wheel, has been relieved. It is thus possible to move the device along upon the rail so as to position it under a wheel without its binding upon the rail. hen, however, the lever is thrown downwardly and it begins to lift upon the wheel, the wedge blocks will force the rail gripping blocks apart on the upper edge, thus preventing backward sliding of the device upon the rail while in use.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A car moving device comprising a lever, a fulcrumblock upon which the lever is pivoted, and rail gripping blocks, said fulcrum block having inclined sides fitting between the rail gripping blocks, means for holding the rail gripping blocks against separation, and means acting to normally raise the fulcrum block from between the rail gripping blocks.

2. A car mover comprising rail gripping blocks adapted to rest upon the rail head and having flanges adapted to engage the side face of the rail head having divergently inclined inner faces along their upper edges, bolts connecting said blocks above the rail head, a fulcrum block having inclined faces adapted to engage the inclined inner faces of the rail gripping blocks, a lever fulcruined on the fulcrum block, and a spring acting between the rail gripping blocks and the fulcrum block to normally raise the latter.

3. A car mover comprising a fulcrum member supported from the rail, a lever pivoted upon said fulcrum member, and a block pivoted upon the lever and adapted to engage the wheel rim, said block and the lever having stop surfaces between the two pivots adapted to engage to thereby shorten one end of the acting lever arm when the lever is run well under the wheel.

Signed at Tacoma, WVashington, this 7th day of May 1919.

ELSVORTH E. CHAPMAN. 

